Week 37 Day 5 – The Will of God

Without doubt, one of the most frequently asked questions (God’s FAQ list) is, “what is God’s will for my life?” Everyone wants to know what it is that God wants them to do, specifically. There is good news and bad news. The good news is that the answer to the question is found nestled in the middle of the little book of Micah. The bad news is that God’s will for your life is not tied to specifics.

To understand the verse, we must first gain a little context. Micah is preaching to Judah during the time when Assyria is annihilating the northern Kingdom of Israel. Micah’s metaphor in the message is that of a courtroom. God is bringing Jerusalem to a court of law and accusing her of the same sins that brought disaster onto the head of her sister, Samaria. Imagine the scene. God is standing in the courtroom, both as the accuser and the judge. Jerusalem stands in the defendant’s chair. The Lord points His finger at the bewildered defendant and says, “You are guilty!” She, in exasperation, throws up her hands and says, “What do you want from me? Should I being going to church more? Should I increase my giving? Should I build a new wing on the Temple? What have I not done that would cause you to point your finger at me?”

In response to this question, the Lord speaks the words of Micah 6:8.

Read Micah 6:8

The following is a great thought about this verse:

“This three-sided approach to life is balanced, unlike many of the fads and fetishes of modern spirituality. For example:

To act with justice keeps one in the real world rather than getting bogged down in theoretical abstractions that actually ignore oppression and injustice.

To love mercy keeps one in touch with the grace of a faithful God rather than succumbing to the tyranny of results-oriented spirituality, which tends to produce legalism, weariness, and burnout.

To walk humbly with God keeps one dependent on God’s resources rather than trusting in merely human solutions, which creates unrealistic pressure on individuals and institutions.

Micah’s triad of spiritual virtues is the high water mark in his book. However, it is important to notice the urban context in which these values are to be lived out (6:9). It is not enough to do justice, love mercy, or walk humbly with God in merely a private way of isolated spirituality. The demands of public life, represented in the city, are ever before us. For example, justice requires honest weights and measures, wages and audits, and restitution for sin (6:10–12). Clearly, godly values have tremendous implication and application to everyday life.

Is that true for your life? These three virtues are qualities that every believer needs not only to understand, but to practice.”1